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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23724865">Tanuki's Tale</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucalcador/pseuds/Lucalcador'>Lucalcador</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast), どうぶつの森 | Animal Crossing Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body Horror, Crossover, follows format of TMA case episode, ghost - Freeform, the body horror happens to a ghost it isn't graphic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:49:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,014</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23724865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucalcador/pseuds/Lucalcador</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Case #0202403 Statement of Tom Nook, regarding an alleged haunting on an island that he owns in the western Atlantic Ocean.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tanuki's Tale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Statement of Tom Nook, regarding an alleged haunting on an island that he owns in the western Atlantic Ocean. Original statement taken March 24th, 2020. Audio recording by Jon Simmons, head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London. Statement begins. </p><p>This isn't the first time I've made a statement here. Of the last three times I was in London, two of those times I made a note to make an appointment for a new statement. Perhaps it has something to do with my line of work, or just something about who I am, that continuously seems to lead me to these kinds of encounters. Encounters I feel you people would have interest in. It isn't like I could really talk about it with anyone else, in my line of work. Things like hauntings, or any mention of danger could badly hurt business. </p><p>I keep saying that, "my line of work," like it's some kind of secret. I'm a businessman, and a very successful one, if I may say so myself. The only reason I'm not considerably more wealthy than I am is because of how much I give to charity. I don't need to be rich. I've owned and ran several independent stores, but mostly I ran construction. In fact, there are several small towns throughout the world that were built and designed by my company, mostly in Japan. Recently, I've been trying something new, with these islands. I've purchased several small islands throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and offered a getaway package. It isn't a holiday or vacation destination, the idea is to restart your life on a, until recently, deserted island. It sounds a bit extreme but you'd be surprised how much people would pay for the offer. </p><p>I may be getting off track. This event occurred on one of these islands. On the island was myself, my nephews Tommy and Timmy, and three residents named Bam, Katt, and Autumn. It started wonderfully, which was a relief. By the end of the first day, we already had a name for the island. As no one ever set foot on the island, it was never named, so that was up to us. We decided on Season Island. Not sure why, one of the residents' ideas. </p><p>It was around 2 am that same night when I woke up. Maybe I was excited, or anxious, or maybe I'm getting old and a solid night's sleep becomes harder to achieve. You see, when we advertised about living on an island that no one had ever stepped foot on, we did our best to make sure that was true. In the weeks prior, we arrived by boat, and set up a single building to act as an airport, and left. Most of the island still hadn't seen intelligent life before. Or so I thought. I was just suddenly overcome with the need to explore it. </p><p>Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "This man can't actually be so stupid as to go out into a relatively large, completely uncharted island, full of cliffs and thick forests, well past midnight, with little to know exploration skills or experience, with no one knowing where they are." Well, you would think wrong. At least I had a cell phone. The island was small enough that the tower that we put up on the first day reached every corner of it.</p><p>I packed some rope, a portable ladder, some rubber boots to try and ford the small rivers. I made it quite far in a short amount of time. I found some freshwater ponds, large enough for fishing. And the deeper I went, the thicker the forest became. The trek was very successful, and the pictures I took would help me properly map out the area tomorrow. My phone said it was about 3:30, so I was about to turn around and follow my trail back to my tent; that’s when I saw something that I didn’t expect.</p><p>I saw a light, behind some trees just a few dozen meters from me. Naturally I wanted to investigate, so I slowly started heading towards it. As I approached, I tried to reason what it might be. A hidden lake reflecting the moonlight? But there was no clearing in the trees large enough for the moonlight to shine through. Perhaps some bioluminescent fungus that I’ll have to warn my residents about. But the light was far too bright for that. I think having no clue as to what this light was is what drew me closer to it. I’m sure plenty of accounts that your institution holds in its records share the theme of uncontrolled curiosity. Sometimes you just can’t walk away. Only a few steps away now.</p><p>As I stepped around the last tree, I raised my arm to cover my face when the light became much brighter in full view, almost stinging my eyes. You know what it’s like after it snows for the first time in winter? You look out at the snow to admire its beauty only to cover your eyes a moment later when it's so unexpectedly bright. I slowly lowered my arm to allow my eyes to adjust and behold what was causing this disturbance on my island.</p><p>It was a person. Clearly, from the description so far and the fact that I’m here now writing about it, it was not a normal person. But, undoubtedly, this living beacon was shaped like you and me. It faced away from me, and was naked, but it had no features on its body whatsoever. No sign of hair or scars or even bone. Its back and arms and legs just smooth as paper. As I stared, mouth agape, I noticed the glow wasn’t quite coming off its skin, but started perhaps an inch or two away from it. My instinct was to stand perfectly still, lest this apparition turn around, yet I wasn’t still. I leaned forward. I have no idea what I was planning to accomplish by getting closer but it’s what my body was doing. I froze only when the foliage under my feet shifted, and silence was broken. </p><p>It whirled around to face me, with neither a superhuman speed nor the dreadful, suspenseful lumbering a spectre may show in a film. Its movements were so human, but that didn’t take away from the terror I felt as it faced me. Its front was no different from the back, lacking any lines or features, except it did have a face. A mimic of a face. A mockery of a face. Its eyes were each the size of my fist, and its thick mouth reached both sides of its head. I also noticed the one, single mark on its entire body: a small gray triangle, pointed upwards, near the top of its head. </p><p>It took only a moment to examine me as I was doing the same to it, before the mouth opened. I could hear it taking a deep breath in, preparing for its next action. My paralysis was broken when the creature bellowed at me. It was so loud, as if cymbals and speakers were right next to my ear. I physically felt the reverberation striking my body. But despite my senses being overwhelmed, it was perfectly clear that it was not just blindly screaming, but saying a word. As it reached the last consonant, my mind was able to process that I had just spent several seconds hearing the word “ghost.” </p><p>I stumbled backwards, and this is where I wish I turned and ran, if I just started running away then I wouldn’t have had to see what happened next. No horror movie I’ve watched in my life prepared me for the graphic scene I witnessed. </p><p>It was as if a propeller blade had suddenly appeared and moved through this entity’s body. Large chunks of it, limbs or hunks of torso, violently tore themselves from its body. With each piece separating from the main mass, the glow lessened, as if the chunks of spirit were taking the light away. There were at least 5 or 6 pieces in total, just floating in the air, before taking action in unison. They launched themselves high into the air and split off into different directions. I have no idea why, or where, I just remember the relief I felt when I realised they were not coming for me. Then I looked down, back at what remained of the creature. It was much smaller now, and no longer resembled a human. All that was left of the creature was an orb, perhaps 8 inches in diameter. It reminded me of those stories of balls of light that lured people away; the will-o’-the-wisp. The wisp still had the cruel scars of a face, and based on the ruffle between its eyes and the quiver of its lip, it was afraid. This is when I finally found my legs, and I ran. </p><p>I could hardly hear my footsteps or even my panting breath, all sounds were muffled as my ears were trying to recover from the assault they faced seconds before. All sounds except one, as the wisp was chasing me. I’m not sure if I can really describe the voice. Besides the volume, which was still near deafening, it also echoed. It was as if church bells were playing all around me, but instead of notes, they played words. Words that were clear, which I completely understood. “Help me,” “not like this,” “my spirit.” Perhaps I was not running from a creature that meant me harm and was instead running from some poor person that needed help, I realised this even as I ran. I justified it to myself by saying I don’t know what the cost of the help this wisp wanted was. I wasn’t about to ignore the dozens of ghost stories we’ve all heard about a will-o’-the-wisp making people disappear just because one said “help.” </p><p>Then I fell. The island doesn’t have very high cliffs, but running full speed into an 8 foot drop leads to a pretty hard landing. The dull thud was followed, however, by silence. And I waited. My heartbeat slowed down and allowed the ache to settle in throughout my body, but I still waited. No sign of the wisp. It was perhaps 5 o’clock by the time I lumbered up and made my way back to my tent. The first thing I did was check on my two young nephews, who were sleeping soundly. I decided to muscle through the pain and stiffness the next day, I didn’t want any questions. I did, however, give my recommendation to all my residents to not explore the wilderness of Season Island at night. I said there’s nothing more important than a solid night’s sleep. </p><p>Statement ends. We haven’t yet come across the other statements Mr. Nook claims to have given, but even without them I can say there is one part of this story I can agree with. Near the beginning Nook says that it is something about who he is that leads to these encounters and I agree that it is mostly just a certain kind of people who have a tendency to see ghosts. Still, Season Island is much too remote for a practical investigation, but Martin did make a few phone calls. Nook stands by his statements, but claims that he has told no resident about the encounter, nor has he stepped foot in the forests on the island since. A friendly secretary directed me to someone she called the “resident representative,” who cheerfully told us they have had several encounters with this so-called wisp, and was good friends with them. I don’t think I’m being controversial when I say that their statement can be thrown out. I chalk this one up to the fact that people see things in the woods, especially at night, nothing more. Besides, we aren’t about to get funding to go on a trip to an island resort to play ghost hunter. End Recording.</p>
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